Forks to consider restoring charming but moldy 'Cottage'

Zucksville Road property is charming but has water damage and mold.

A beloved yet dormant structure in Forks Township has come to the attention of township supervisors yet again, with the board Thursday moving to spend funds to render it usable to the community.

A small group of supporters came to the supervisors meeting to speak in favor of curing issues within the "Cottage," a quaint 68-year-old structure at 700 Zucksville Road that cannot be used because of prevalent water damage and mold.

After lengthy discussion Thursday, the board voted 5-0 to seek bids to determine the total cost to remediate mold and also undertake additional repairs, along with an appraisal to determine current market value should the township opt to sell it.

"Get one bid for the whole thing," Supervisor Dan Martyak said.

The board had previously decided to work with volunteers from the Forks Township Arts Society and other community members to restore, rather than demolish, the charming structure, which rests on a heavily wooded 5-acre parcel.

But the board had openly voiced displeasure in recent months about the lack of follow-through from the supporters who had come out last September vowing to roll up their sleeves and do the work. Members of the Arts Society had presented the supervisors at that time with a petition urging them to save it, signed by more than 600 residents.

Again, talk of restoring the building and possibly turning it into a cultural center for the arts came to the forefront, but first mold must be eliminated and the interior structure overhauled.

Public Works Director Mark Roberts had a consultant, Keith Row, of Air Care & Restoration, Bethlehem, visit the structure Aug. 7 and provide feedback.

Speaking before the board Thursday, Row estimated it would cost about $20,000 just to rid the two-story structure of mold.

But other necessary improvements, including gutting the kitchen and replacing cabinetry, removing and replacing wood wall boards in the first-floor annex room, and providing necessary dehumidifiers and air purifying units, ramp the cost up to nearly $50,000. That would also include hooking the building up to municipal water and sewer.

"The good news is it's all plaster construction, which doesn't support mold," Row said of the building in its entirety. "If it were drywall it would be a moldy mess."

Still, his report revealed "an elevated level" of mold in the basement and "advanced level" of water damage on the first floor, indicating that mold is present throughout the house.

Four community members spoke before the board on the issue Thursday, and Arts Society President Penny Hochella offered no explanation for the lack of effort by those who had pledged to volunteer last year. Instead, she urged the board to act to preserve, not demolish, the cottage.

"We need a place to show our work, and have people anxious to put their work in that little cottage," she said. "Get it fixed, it's just common sense."

Hochella, a Moore Township resident, was joined in support by Arts Society board member Charles Hansen, who works as a Realtor and said he would provide a market assessment on the building at no cost to the township.

Supervisor Secretary/Treasurer Robert Egolf said he had no problem with seeking prices for the work, but voiced concern that it wasn't included as part of the township's five-year parks master plan, where funds have been earmarked for expenditure within that time frame.

Chuss said it would be in the best interest of the township to spend the money to put the building on the market and potentially turn a profit.

"We have something that's incredibly unique here," he said. "We can recover this money, it's not a sunk cost."